Sir William Emerson, then president, British Institute of Architects, drew up plans for the building. Martin & Co was assigned its construction. Vincent J Esch was named the superintending architect.
Construction began in 1904.
The later King George V, then the prince of Wales, laid the foundation stone on January 4, 1906.
In 1911, India's capital was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
Earlier Slide Show: Date with the Taj
Work on the memorial lost momentum after the Empire's headquarters moved to Delhi, and the building was opened to the public -- 15 years after the foundation stone was laid -- in 1921.